Oronsaye charged to court over N1.9bn ‘theft’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned Stephen Oronsaye, former head of service, before Gabriel Kolawole, justice of the federal high court in Abuja.

Oronsaye, who was arraigned on a 24-count‎ charge of stealing and obtaining by false pretense, was arrested by the EFCC last Wednesday.

He is accused of awarding a contract worth N63 million to Innovative Solutions and Project Limited, a company he allegedly chose without due process, for biometric data capture.

According to the EFCC, the contract served as a means by which three individuals and five companies got more than N700 million.

Based on the charges, the companies, which had no contract to participate in the biometric data capture exercise but were paid, include Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited, which received about N119 million; Xangee Technologies, about N153 million; Fatidek Venture at leastN30 million, and Obanlado Enterprises, about N96 million‎.

Before Justice‎ Kolawole took the plea of the accused person, he warned against the peddling of rumours, stating that Oronsaye was “officially” known to him.

“I abhor rumour mongering. Oronsaye is known to me just as Ibrahim Lamorde of the EFCC is known to me,” he said.

“I don’t know where he lives and he doesn’t know where I live. If anyone feels I can’t be impartial in this case, let them say so I can disqualify myself and return the file to the chief justice.”

Aliyu Yusuf, counsel to the EFCC, stated that his client was comfortable with the judge handling the case.

Also, Kanu Agabi, counsel to Oronsaye, who leads about 20 lawyers in the case, said he‎ had no objection.

Yusuf, counsel to the EFCC‎, prayed the court to remand Oronsaye and the second defendant, Osarenkhoe Afe of Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited to prison custody.

But Agabi‎ argued that the accused was presumed innocent before the law, and as such was entitled to bail.

He further argued that based on extant laws, a suspect should not spend more than‎ 24 hours in custody, hence the need for a speedy trial.

Also, counsel to Frederick Hamilton Global Services, ‎Oluwole Aladedoye, also argued in support of the bail for the accused, stating that in the event that the court refused them bail, they should be remanded in EFCC custody and not in prison.

However, counsel to the EFCC opposed the arguments on the grounds that the counsels to the defendants “cannot” make an oral application for bail since‎ they had already tendered a written application for the same.

He ‎prayed the court to give him time to respond to the written application, and asked that the accused should be remanded in prison because the EFCC didn’t have enough facility to accommodate suspects.

Oronsaye, alongside the other accused, stood ‎in the witness box for more than two hours, looking sober and intermittently bowing his head.

Abdulrasheed Maina, another person accused of participating in the alleged crime, is currently at large.

Justice Kolawole ruled that the accused persons should be released after the signing of an undertaking by their counsels.

He adjourned to‎ July 21 for hearing on the bail application while trial would commence on October 29.